Catalonia sets new FDI record in 2025 with €1.1B

Previous Next

The Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the business growth agency belonging to the Ministry for Business and Labour, has reached a new record for foreign investment attraction in 2025, securing €1.105 billion in investment.

Speaking before Parliament today, Minister for Business and Labour Miquel Sàmper announced that, for the first time, the volume of foreign investment attracted by the Government has exceeded €1.1 billion. This represents a 5% increase over the previous year and the highest figure since records began in 1985.

Minister Sàmper also highlighted that the number of foreign investment projects secured has remained above the 100-project mark for the third consecutive year, reaching a total of 101 projects. Furthermore, the creation of 3,980 new jobs and the retention of 1,728 existing jobs in 2025 means that, over the last five-year period (2021–2025), job creation has increased by 3%, while jobs retained have risen by 61% compared with the previous five-year period (2016–2020).

These are the main findings of the annual results for Catalonia Trade & Investment, ACCIÓ’s division responsible for attracting and managing foreign investment on behalf of the Government of Catalonia.

“We have a future of certainty because we are working with a portfolio of 500 projects”

Miquel Sàmper, Minister for Business and Labour

Share quote:

• X
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Whatsapp

"In a context of global sociopolitical uncertainty, we have generated trust, and we have a historic record: Catalonia has attracted €1.105 billion in foreign investment, a 5% increase compared to 2024. This means that, every day of the year, more than €3 million in foreign investment has arrived in Catalonia. For the third consecutive year, more than 100 projects have taken root here, with a direct impact on employment," highlighted the Minister for Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper.

"The goal is to generate prosperity and share it," the Minister affirmed, recalling that one of the points set out in Catalonia's 2026-2030 Investment Attraction, Capture and Retention Strategy is for 50% of investment and employment to materialize outside the Barcelona metropolitan area. "We have a future of certainty because we are working with a portfolio of 500 projects," Sàmper added.

The Minister also highlighted the work carried out by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment’s professionals, both in Catalonia and across its international network. In this regard, every euro of public funding allocated to foreign investment attraction generated €307 in private investment from international companies. At the same time, each member of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment’s foreign investment team contributed to the creation or retention of 138 jobs. In addition, three out of every ten investment projects secured in Catalonia originated through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment’s network of 40 Trade and Investment Offices worldwide.

A snapshot of foreign investment

Looking at a broader timeframe to smooth the inherent volatility of foreign investment flows, the total investment attracted by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment over the last five years (2021–2025) reached €4.267 billion, more than double (up 143%) the amount secured during the previous five-year period (2016–2020). During these five years, multinational investment projects created or maintained more than 30,200 jobs in Catalonia, representing a 17% increase compared with the previous five-year period.

In 2025, 62% of the foreign investment attracted by the Government of Catalonia was industrial or technology-related. Specifically, 38% of the projects were in manufacturing industries, while 25% were in the technology sector. By industry, ICT and electronics accounted for the largest share (25%), followed by automotive (14%), chemicals (11%), pharmaceuticals (11%), and audiovisual and video games (6%).

Meanwhile, 49% of all projects secured were directly linked to the digital and green transitions. Together, these projects generated or safeguarded more than 2,800 jobs, representing half of the total employment impact.

The investments originated from some 30 different countries, underlining Catalonia’s ability to diversify the sources of new investment projects. The leading countries of origin were the United States (17% of projects), followed by Germany (14%), France (11%), and the United Kingdom (10%).

Of the 101 foreign investment projects secured in 2025, 29% were greenfield investments, meaning they came from companies setting up in Catalonia for the first time. The remaining 71% were expansion or reinvestment projects by companies already operating in the region. This mix demonstrates both Catalonia’s ability to attract new international investors and the confidence that existing multinational companies continue to place in the region.

Public support

Through Catalonia Trade & Investment, ACCIÓ provides comprehensive support to international companies, helping new multinationals establish operations in Catalonia while assisting those already present with expansion and reinvestment projects. Its work covers the international promotion of Catalonia, the identification and attraction of potential investment projects, the preparation of competitive investment proposals highlighting Catalonia’s strengths, end-to-end advisory services throughout the investment process, and ongoing support once companies have established operations in the region.

In this context, the Government has launched a new foreign investment attraction, promotion and retention strategy for 2026–2030, with the goal of securing 600 foreign investment projects worth €6 billion, including reinvestments by subsidiaries of foreign companies already established in Catalonia, and also creating or maintaining 45,000 jobs.

The Government has also set the objective of increasing the number of foreign-owned subsidiaries operating in Catalonia to 10,000.